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Fort Hood rebranded in name of Mexican-American
Fort Hood, a military installation in Texas that has been at the center of several national controversies, is no longer named after Confederate general John Bell Hood. As of Tuesday, the installation has been renamed Fort Cavazos in honor of Gen. Richard Cavazos, a Texas-born Mexican American who twice earned America’s second-highest military honor during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The renaming of Fort Hood is part of the Defense Department’s push to rename installations honoring the Confederacy. Fort Cavazos is one of nine Army installations being renamed after the Pentagon’s Naming Commission delivered recommendations to the secretary of defense.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This morning, Fort Hood will be redesignated Fort Cavazos. Get to know its namesake – Gen. Richard Edward Cavazos.<br><br>We're proud to honor the courage and legacy of distinguished Soldiers like this Texas-born hero of the Korean and Vietnam wars.<br><br>👆 📺 Tap to watch. <a href="https://t.co/NI7lOr81Xm">pic.twitter.com/NI7lOr81Xm</a></p>— U.S. Army (@USArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/USArmy/status/1655906269599879168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Fort Hood, home to the Army’s III Armored Corps, has gained national media attention for strings of soldier suicides and murders. Some are not convinced that the new name will result in much change for the installation’s reputation.
However, Army leaders appear excited to welcome a new, fresh chapter in the installation’s otherwise troubled history by honoring the Texas-born hero of the Korean and Vietnam wars, and his acts of gallantry in combat. “Fate brought Richard E. Cavazos into the American Century,” the Naming Commission’s final report read. “But valor and leadership characterized his career of military service within it.”
The son of a World War I veteran, Cavazos joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps and commissioned as an infantry lieutenant toward the beginning of the Korean War. He distinguished himself as a leader, rallying his men to make three separate charges on a well-entrenched enemy position. Afterwards, he returned to the field five separate times to personally evacuate his wounded men before accepting treatment for his own injuries.
Cavazos would go on to serve in the Vietnam War as a battalion commander, again distinguishing himself in combat. He fought on the ground with his troops during battle, leading an assault against a fortified position and exposing himself to fire.
In addition to earning two Distinguished Service Crosses, Cavazos earned two Legions of Merit, a Silver Star, five Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart and a bevy of other awards. He commanded III Corps at Fort Hood and became the first Hispanic American to achieve the rank of four-star general, according to the commission’s report.
After serving for 33 years in the Army, Cavazos retired in 1984. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 88.
